Articular cartilage, found at the ends of articulating bone in the body, is typically composed of hyaline cartilage, which has many unique properties that allow it to function effectively as a smooth and lubricious load bearing surface. Hyaline cartilage problems, particularly in knee, hip joints, and should joints, are generally caused by disease such as occurs with rheumatoid arthritis or wear and tear (osteoarthritis), or secondary to an injury, either acute (sudden), or recurrent and chronic (ongoing). Such cartilage disease or deterioration can compromise the articular surface causing pain and eventually, loss of joint movement. As a result, various methods have been developed to treat and repair damaged or destroyed articular cartilage.
For smaller defects, traditional options for this type of problem include leaving the lesions or injury alone and living with it, or performing a procedure called abrasion arthroplasty or abrasion chondralplasty. The principle behind this procedure is to attempt to stimulate natural healing. The bone surface is drilled using a high speed rotary burr or shaving device and the surgeon removes about 1 mm of bone from the surface of the lesion. This creates an exposed subchondral bone bed that will bleed and will initiate a fibrocartilage healing response. One problem with this procedure is that the exposed bone is not as smooth as it originally was following the drilling and burring which tends to leave a series of ridges and valleys, affecting the durability of the fibrocartilage response. Further, although this procedure can provide good short term results, (1-3 years), fibrocartilage is seldom able to support long-term weight bearing and is prone to wear, soften and deteriorate.
Another procedure, called Microfracture incorporates some of the principles of drilling, abrasion and chondralplasty. During the procedure, the calcified cartilage layer of the chondral defect is removed. Several pathways or “microfractures” are created to the subchondral bleeding bone bed by impacting a metal pick or surgical awl at a minimum number of locations within the lesion. By establishing bleeding in the lesion and by creating a pathway to the subchondral bone, a fibrocartilage healing response is initiated, forming a replacement surface. Results for this technique may be expected to be similar to abrasion chondralplasty.
Another means used to treat damaged articular cartilage is a cartilage transplant. Essentially, this procedure involves moving cartilage from an outside source or other knee or from within the same knee into the defect. Typically, this is done by transferring a peg of cartilage with underlying bone and fixing it in place with a screw or pin or by a press fit. Although useful for smaller defects, large defects present a problem, as this procedure requires donor pegs proportionate to the recipient bed. Large diameter lesions may exceed the capacity to borrow from within the same knee joint and rule out borrowing from another source.
Larger defects, however, generally require a more aggressive intervention. Typically treatment requires replacing the articular surface with an implant or prosthetic having an outer layer that that is polished or composed of a material that provides a lubricious load bearing surface in approximation of an undamaged cartilage surface. Replacement of the articular surface requires first cutting, boring, or reaming the damaged area to remove the damaged cartilage. A recess to receive an implant or prosthetic is formed at the damaged site. The implant or prosthetic is then secured to the bone in an appropriate position in the recess.